Under Your Feet

30

Fungal food

Fungi have no mouths or stomachs.

They absorb their food directly,

or release chemicals called

enzymes that break it down

so it can be absorbed.

What are fungi?

Fungi are not plants, animals,

or bacteria. They have a stringy

body made up of thousands of

tiny threads that spread

throughout the soil.

Plant pals

Fungi can live on plant

roots. They take nutrients

from the soil for the plant

and receive food in return.

FUNGUS KINGDOM

A poisonous toadstool in the forest is just

one bit of a fungus – as is a mushroom in

your kitchen cupboard! Fungi can be vast

soil organisms or tiny microbes, without

which many plants couldn’t grow.

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